Up The Duff
by LateforClass
Summary: Arthur/Gwaine, Prince Arthur of England and Duke of Essex Gwaine are on the brink of a divorce when Gwaine falls pregnant with Arthur's baby and all hell breaks loose. UST, Arthur/Gwaine SLASH, angst and fluff in equal parts, oh ALSO MPREG!
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary: Prince Arthur of England and Duke Gwaine of Essex are on the brink of an imminent divorce when Gwaine falls pregnant and pandemonium breaks loose.**_

 _ **Up The Duff**_

 _ **CHAPTER - 1**_

"Well what is it that was so important that I had to interrupt a very important meeting with the King of Spain to speak with _you_?" Arthur placed an unpleasant emphasis on the you and looked at Gwaine like he always did these days, like Gwaine was something stuck at the bottom of his shoe that he had no wish to see or deal with.

Merlin who was Arthur's personal assistant, magical bodyguard and brother in law all at once gave Gwaine a sympathetic glance as Gwaine actively tried to not let his nerves show and run out of the place, Arthur had not even invited him to sit.

He hated how Arthur could still make him feel this way, make him doubt his worth, he'd allowed no one else so close to have the power to break him completely.

Gwaine crossed his arms in front of himself blew out a deep breath and said plainly "I'm pregnant."

Someone gasped and Gwaine didn't know if it was Merlin or Arthur.

When he deigned to look up both Merlin and Arthur were looking at him with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Arthur's face soon crumpled into anger however and his tone was biting when he asked "Was it Percy?"

Merlin chastised "Arthur!"

" _Unfortunately no_ " Gwaine said equally biting.

Arthur leaned back in his chair then and seemed to be calculating the months, the last time they'd slept together was two months ago when they'd both gotten too drunk to forget that they were on the verge of a nasty divorce at Morgana and Merlin's boy's christening.

"Gwaine, sit down" Merlin said as he came around the desk and shot Arthur a quelling look when he made a noise of protest.

"Thankyou Merlin but there's no need. I was about to leave anyway" Gwaine gave Merlin a small smile which under the circumstances came out looking like more of a grimace.

"I want to know for sure it's mine" Arthur said and Gwaine shot him a glare that could've burned a hole into Arthur's smarmy head if he had Merlin's power.

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep it so you can rest easy" Gwaine said out loud even though he hadn't wanted to reveal that quite so soon to Arthur.

"If it's mine _you have_ to keep it…it's the Royal Heir…you can't just terminate without my permission" Arthur commanded narrowing his eyes, promising retribution if Gwaine put a toe out of line.

Gwaine bristled at Arthur's tone, "I'm not one of your dog bodies you can just order about, this is my body, my problem and if I don't want it you can't force me to have it!"

This was the first time they'd seen each other in almost a month and they were already fighting and Gwaine could feel all his emotions tearing at the seams making him want to cry out loud at how _unfai_ r it all was.

"As your lawfully wedded husband you'll find that I have more than a say in whether you can get an abortion or not" Arthur informed nonchalantly.

Gwaine could feel tears prickling at his eyes and he cursed ' _damn hormones'_ before he decided to turn and walk as quickly as he could to the door when he found he couldn't really stop the tears and didn't want to give Arthur the satisfaction of letting him see how much this was truly affecting him.

As soon as Gwaine was out of the door Merlin turned to Arthur and smacked him upside the head _hard_ , never mind that a bodily attack to the Prince of England meant certain death.

"OWW Merlin! What was that for?"

"Like you don't bloody know you prat!"

Arthur had the grace to look atleast a little contrite but Merlin was not going to let him off the hook that easily this time.

"How can you be such a callous arsehole? He's pregnant with your baby! If nothing else that should make you a little more considerate!"

"We don't know if it's my baby for sure Merlin" Arthur said tightly and then, "And this doesn't change the fact that we were on the brink of a divorce for a long time now."

"You're still going to go through with it?" Merlin asked his tone cautious now, Arthur had the tendency to get barking mad whenever Gwaine was brought up these days. Merlin couldn't help but feel a tentative hope that the baby might bring them together again, he was little sap like that.

"I'm not sure it's in my hands anymore, he's carrying the heir to the throne Merlin…."

And Merlin knew that had a lot of implications, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Gwaine though, Merlin could only imagine how much it must suck to be in his shoes right now. And looking at Arthur whose mouth was drawn in a thin unhappy line Merlin couldn't help but feel sorry for Arthur too for he remembered how happier Arthur was once Gwaine came stumbling into his life with his ill manners and rogue charms literally.

From the first meeting their relationship was explosive and Merlin and the whole of Great Britain had watched from the sidelines at their mating dance before they finally tied the knot after two years of pretending they didn't want each other badly and madly.

And it had been…interesting so to say, to see Arthur as a married man, before Gwaine Arthur had the notorious reputation of being a bed hopper and one of those people who got cold feet the minute someone uttered the phrase settle.

Only Gwaine had always been different, always been a challenge and their marriage had yielded a lot of public scandals as people got used to seeing the Prince of England get all snarly and angry with his husband one moment and then the next they were seen snogging the hell out of each other much to the disapproval of Prince Uther Pendragon.

Amidst jealous Princess' that Arthur had offended by marrying a duke, amidst all the people disappointed that their Prince turned out to be gay and married Gwaine, amidst the thick disapproval of both of their parents, amidst the constant glare of the paparazzi Arthur and Gwaine had survived and they'd made it as unlikely as they'd all thought it would.

All of their friends had always held the opinion that they weren't going to last, they were too similar, too competitive, too stubborn and too alpha male-ish for it to work.

Morgana had said at the time to Merlin that they weren't going to last a month before they drove each other crazy or killed one another in a fit of anger.

But they'd not only made the marriage work but they were genuinely happy for five long years and after the first two years everybody had thought that they were a solid match, that they were going to be together through thick and thin and prove them all wrong till the end of time.

And then Arthur had gone to the war against Nimueh and came back only a year later and everything had changed. They'd nearly died in that war against Nimueh and her army of sorcerers but they'd survived and people changed when they went through things like that, Merlin knew for he was right by Arthur's side throughout that war missing Morgana's pregnancy and even the birth of his son for which Morgana still gave him a hard time but they'd survived and Merlin had rushed back to his wife and his new born son sure in the knowledge that they were safe now, he couldn't understand then why Arthur wasn't feeling the same mad rush to see Gwaine after a yearlong absence.

They'd both been pathetic and moping the entire time they'd been stationed at Germany, then France and then Iraq holed together in military uniforms and bunk beds and slumming together for a whole year, he'd missed Morgana like a severed limb and Arthur was no better.

It was confounding to him then that Arthur chose to return later than the others and he could still remember the abject horror on Gwaine's face at the airport when he realized Arthur wasn't with them. He'd thought Arthur was dead and everyone had chosen to keep it from him.

When Arthur finally deigned to return two months after the rest of them Gwaine understandably was none too pleased with him and everything went downhill from there.

And for the last year Gwaine and Arthur had been drifting apart so much that even the press had gotten wind of it even though both Gwaine and Arthur's PR teams tried to actively work against people finding out just how fractured their relationship was.

Merlin knew not to hope for too much but he couldn't help but think that Gwaine falling pregnant now could just about be the only thing that could salvage their broken relationship. He left Arthur who was still radiating tension off of every pore in his body.


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER 2**_

Arthur and Gwaine squirmed under the combined glares of their parents as they were forced to sit together to complete the humiliation.

Merlin and Morgana were sitting opposite to them while Uther and Igraine sat at the right side of the head table, Annis and Carleon were sitting immediately next to Uther and Igraine facing Arthur and Gwaine who had yet to look up from scrutinizing the table intently.

They were all waiting for the Queen to start the dinner and everyone in the room knew now about Gwaine's predicament.

While Uther and Carleon looked to be in two minds about the pregnancy, Igraine, Morgana and Merlin were more hopeful and in Igraine's case ecstatic and trying to control it.

Annis just looked incredibly worried for Gwaine and kept shooting not so subtle glares at Arthur.

Suffice to say Gwaine was not looking forward to this particular family dinner and he had to refrain from snorting aloud at the thought of them being a family, he'd long since stopped being part of _the family_. To sit and pretend that just last week they'd been discussing divorce proceedings with the Royal family on the phone was not remiss with Gwaine and Arthur's presence so close to him was throwing off all of his barricades that he'd carefully built up in the last year to protect himself.

Arthur's body radiated warmth like it always did and they were sitting close together that if Gwaine moved just a little his thighs would brush together with Arthur's.

Unbidden a memory of Arthur putting his hand on Gwaine's thigh and making him choke inadvertently on his wine in a similar family dinner came to him and Gwaine's throat closed up with feeling and his chest felt tight as he thought on how far away from that scenario they were now.

Arthur's body was coiled tight with tension now and Gwaine had no doubt that if he were to lay even a finger on Arthur he would slap his hands away.

He just knew the Queen was making them all stew just for the hell of it, even though he liked the old natter he knew today she was probably going to embarrass them even further.

Finally when the tension was so high in the room that it could be cut with a knife the Queen of England came into the dining hall immaculately dressed in a pale suit sans hat.

They all rose together with her entrance as they all knew there would be hell to pay if any of them showed anything other than complete respect for her, she was even scarier than Uther in that way despite being a short, stout, nearly ninety year old woman.

Agatha Pendragon smiled at them all her eyes coming to rest on Gwaine and Arthur making them feel like naughty children caught stealing out of a cookie jar.

Agatha extended her arms out in a beckoning gesture then and Gwaine and Arthur slumped in defeat knowing they couldn't get out of it as Merlin and Morgana snickered from the sidelines, Igraine was biting her lip and managing a modicum of decorum while Annis, Uther and Carleon all still looked like they had a stick up their arses.

Arthur and Gwaine went to meet her halfway as she walked with swift strides to them both and crushed them together in a group hug, Gwaine ending up on her right arm and Arthur on her left and though they were both actively trying to not brush up on each other it was quite impossible and Gwaine felt Arthur's body right against his sides and tried not to feel overwhelmed by it all.

Agatha released them from her crushing hold eventually and then looked right at Gwaine and exclaimed "So I hear you have a bun in the oven"

Gwaine flushed scarlet at the Queens all too candid observation and then just as he predicted she made it worse.

"I'm not surprised, I never doubted in dear Arthur's virility you know…although I can hardly say the same for my own son!"

"GRAND MOTHER!"

"MOTHER!"

Both Uther and Arthur exclaimed at the same time and Agatha threw her head back and laughed as she made her way to the head table and sat down.

And everyone else followed her cue and sat down as well as the maids came in to serve them all.

They were all afraid of addressing the massive elephant in the room which was that were it not for Gwaine falling pregnant this might have been a conversation about divorce proceedings.

Agatha however had no taste for dilly dallying so she said "Now you can put all that nasty divorce talk behind…."

Surprisingly it was Arthur who objected though Annis and Gwaine were just short of doing so anyways.

"Grandmother I don't think this changes anything…"

Agatha looked down at Arthur like he was particularly stupid and proclaimed "You foolish boy, this changes everything! You can't tell me you are still thinking of divorce as an option…you still like him enough to have gotten him pregnant!"

Arthur's cheeks were ruddy with color and it was Gwaine who interjected this time, "We've not discussed what we're going to do about the baby yet your highness."

"Oh stop with the titles! And what is there to discuss about, you both are obviously going to raise my great grand son or daughter together."

"That is a decision that's best left to Gwaine…" Annis said her tone sharp as she glared at the Queen, "I believe he has the right to see this through alone if that's what he wishes for."

"And why would he wish for that?" Queen Agatha asked skeptically waving a maid from refilling her wine glass.

The question was addressed to Annis and Annis' eyes radiated hatred as she declared too bluntly "Well Arthur has not exactly been the best partner for my son has he?" Annis cast a glare at Arthur at that and Arthur met her glare with an icy stare of his own, Annis had never approved of him after all and took every opportunity to undermine him even before Gwaine and Arthur had drifted apart.

Agatha waved her hands in the air again and said "Lover's tiff and all that, which marriage doesn't have those? If I remember right you and duke Carleon hit rough waters long back and you are still together are you not?"

Annis narrowed her eyes at the Queen and snapped "I and my husband are different to Arthur and Gwaine, he left my son for a year and when he came back he couldn't be bothered to even talk to Gwaine, my son didn't deserve to be deserted!"

Igraine couldn't contain herself from defending her Arthur at that, "He didn't desert Gwaine, he left to fight in a war that would have threatened all our lives had he not gone!"

"I'm talking about the time after the war, he didn't return for two months while my son had to wait and wonder along with the rest of the world just what his husband was doing instead of returning to him like he should have! And when he did come back he threw my son to the curb without a thought!"

"I didn't throw him out, he walked out on his own!" Arthur snapped rightly pissed off with Annis and her incessant insults on his character.

"Because you treated me like I was inexistent to you!" Gwaine snapped back as he faced Arthur, "You didn't want anything to do with me."

"Because you were being clingy when all I wanted was some space!"

"Space? You came back two months late and then left me again the same week you came back! And then you had the gall to say I was having an affair with Percy!"

"You certainly seemed chummy enough to warrant my suspicion!"

"I certainly wish I'd have done something now to _warrant your suspicion_!" Gwaine imitated Arthur's voice and they were both vying for a fight now and every one could see the figurative steam billowing out of Arthur and Gwaine's ears.

"ENOUGH!" that was Merlin and when everyone turned to look at him with surprise he gulped before he Morgana squeezed his hand and he looked at Arthur and Gwaine resolutely.

"You both have issues to deal with fine, you're not going to solve anything by screaming at each other. And everything _has changed_ Arthur…you have a baby to think about now not just yourselves and I hope you both start acting like responsible adults instead of kindergarten children throwing endless accusations at each other and making no progress in the end."

"I couldn't have said it more accurately myself!" Queen Agatha said and raised her wine glass to Merlin in praise.

Arthur lifted his own wine glass to distract himself from the situation he'd got himself into and as he was sitting so close to Gwaine the smell triggered Gwaine's sensitive stomach and he got up abruptly holding a hand to his mouth and rushing out to the bathroom.

All of a sudden his predicament became all too real for Arthur and when five minutes had passed where they were all at an impasse and the room reigned with uncomfortable silence Merlin said "You should go check on him" to Arthur.

"No need, I'll go" Annis said and made to get up.

Arthur beat her to it and was out of his chair before Annis and when Annis gave him a disapproving stare Arthur said "I'm still his husband, I hope you remember that Lady Annis" and walked out in search of Gwaine.

Arthur found Gwaine slumped and leaning on the edges of the porcelain sink in the bathroom and when he looked up and saw Arthur's reflection in the mirror his eyes narrowed in suspicion "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? Checking up on you apparently, though you certainly don't seem to be needing it." Arthur didn't know what was compelling him to be an ass, he knew he was being an ass but he just couldn't seem to stop his words.

"Get out Arthur!" Gwaine said his eyes hard and angry.

Arthur was going to protest vociferously, tell Gwaine he couldn't tell Arthur what he could and couldn't do inside his own house but then Gwaine got this funny expression and then bent over retching again and even from where he looked it looked painful to Arthur so his feet took a mind of its own and so did his hands as they closed in on Gwaine and in the end Arthur was holding Gwaine's head keeping his lush hair away until Gwaine stopped regurgitating and just took deep breaths in and out.

Unbidden his hands sneaked around to Gwaine's stomach and started rubbing comforting circles, this was the closest Arthur had been to Gwaine in so long, the last time being the night they'd slept together and his couldn't seem to contain his hands motions even if he wanted to as Gwaine settled leaning his weight lightly on Arthur and trying to recover from his bout of sickness.

Arthur was still rubbing his stomach still amazed that his baby was growing inside said stomach, it was all a bit surreal to him.

"What are you doing?" Gwaine asked once he'd recovered enough to become disconcerted that he was taking comfort from Arthur.

Arthur didn't say anything and continued rubbing Gwaine's stomach as he took in Gwaine's scent and the feeling of having him so close again.

Gwaine moved away from him then casting Arthur's arms aside as he turned and said "You don't get to do this now Arthur….not after everything, stay the fuck away from me!"

Arthur's hands clenched but when Gwaine left the bathroom Arthur didn't protest, and once he was out the door Arthur banged his fist hard on the tiled walls letting out all his frustration and anger at how they had ended up here and how he was going to fix this mess!

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 **Hope you guys enjoy reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER – 3**

"I don't want to do it now!" Gwaine said all indignant fists clenched and eyes burning.

Arthur opened his mouth about to say something which would no doubt make matters worse when Merlin intervened saying "Gwaine, you are almost two months along, you are going to have to make a public statement sometime"

Gwaine narrowed his eyes first at Arthur and then at Merlin before saying "That's exactly it, I'm only two months along, who knows if I'm even going to carry it up to term? I don't want to make a public statement now."

Arthur rose up then and no amount of protestations from Merlin could contain him then, "And what exactly do you mean saying you _don't know if you are going to carry it to term?"_

Arthur had a carefully guarded look in his eyes that said he was about to burst any moment now but Gwaine was never one to back down to any of Arthur's dominative tactics, how they'd lived for five years without killing each other was still a mystery to Merlin and everyone else who knew them.

Gwaine's looked and sounded nonchalant as he said "Just what I said, miscarriages are not uncommon, especially not in male pregnancy…"

Gwaine sat down on his bed then as Arthur stood and glared menacingly.

Gwaine gave his shit eating grin, the one that on a good day made Arthur roll his eyes exasperatedly and on a bad day sent him on a screaming rampage about how raving mad his husband was and how could he ever have been waylaid by that rugged handsome looks and ignored the completely less than stellar personality Gwaine had.

Just then someone knocked on the door before it opened to reveal Percival.

It was not just in Merlin's imagination that the room got a little colder at that as Arthur glared at Percy with cool blue eyes rightly in contrast to Gwaine whose smile had softened and turned genuine.

"Perce!" he exclaimed jubilantly knowing it would irritate Arthur and Merlin sighed and frowned, the situation just got worse and worse.

Percy bless him seemed to automatically understand that he wasn't welcome and said "I can come back at a later time."

"Nonsense! Arthur and Merlin were just about to leave anyways" Gwaine said giving a pointed look to them both as he beckoned for Percy to come inside.

Arthur ignored the look as Merlin knew he would and Merlin wondered if they'd have to sit through a highly awkward situation when Percy who still looked hesitant said "No Gwaine, I'll get that chocolate croissant from that shop down the street that you like…..just…I'll be back soon."

Gwaine made an unhappy face at that and shot an accusing stare at Arthur who in turn was fuming.

All Arthur could think was the fact that Percy seemed to be so comfortable around Gwaine's place, and apparently his husband was inviting another man into his bedroom willingly and of his own accord and Arthur was not stupid, he knew the way Percy looked at Gwaine, how was he supposed to believe nothing was happening between them when everything they did and said made it seem that Gwaine had found a nice replacement for him already?

"OH! This is rich! I knew you were a manslut really but to invite another man inside your bedroom when _I_ am right here…"

It was Gwaine's turn to sigh as he said "Arthur, don't start…"

But Arthur was not in any mood to stop anytime soon and Merlin having understood that the situation was totally out of his hands subtly escaped the room.

"And he brings you chocolate croissants, what else does he do pray tell? Rub your feet, fuck you whenever you feel the need to spread your…"

"ARTHUR!" Gwaine shouted then rising up from where he'd sat on the bed, "Get the fuck out!"

"I don't think I will!" Arthur said tartly before he closed in on Gwaine in three long strides and put his hands tightly around Gwaine's waist.

"Are you mad? God, just fuck off, fuck off! I don't want to see your face"

"Did you sleep with him?" Arthur asked looking right into Gwaine's eyes and Gwaine tried and failed to wriggle out of Arthur's hold.

"That is none of your business" Gwaine spat.

"ANSWER ME!" Arthur bellowed loud enough to wake the dead which made Gwaine stop in his tracks and just glare at Arthur hard.

"What makes you think you have the right to ask me that anymore? We were about to get divorced! I am as good as a free man!" Gwaine gritted it all out from between clenched teeth.

"I am still your husband and I have all the bloody right in the world! Tell me, did you sleep with him?"

Gwaine kept mum about it and Arthur refrained from shaking him for an answer before he brought one of his hands up and carded it through Gwaine's lush hair, he pulled just enough to hurt before he tilted Gwaine's neck to make it accessible before he leaned forward and mouthed at Gwaine's neck the scent of Gwaine's cologne and sweat getting him aroused as he licked a stripe as Gwaine's breathing labored and he uttered cautiously… "Arthur…"

And then without warning Arthur bit making Gwaine yelp in stunned surprise and outrage as Arthur worried the pale skin on Gwaine's neck between his teeth soothing the bruise he'd given quite purposefully with his tongue before he pulled away and looked into Gwaine's face which was the picture of indignation.

Merlin barged in at just that moment alarmed at the prolonged silence before he saw Gwaine in Arthur's embrace and backed out saying "Sorry! Sorry!"

However as soon as Arthur was distracted Gwaine wriggled free of Arthur's grip and the next minute Arthur's cheeks turned with the force of the slap.

Cheeks smarting Arthur looked up to see Gwaine all ruffled up in anger as he barked "Get out! Get out before I knee you for that and don't be coming back if you know what's good for you…"

Now Arthur maybe dense and oblivious but he knew when he'd pushed Gwaine too far and when Gwaine actually meant his threats so he backed out but not before throwing a defiant glare in Gwaine's direction and looking satisfyingly smug as he eyed the mark he'd left on Gwaine which would no doubt unsettle Percy and warn him off of Gwaine.

* * *

"Just perfect! Really….you don't need anyone to make things worse for yourself do you?" Merlin asked as he paced the carpeted floor in one of the many parlors at the Buckingham Palace.

Arthur was sitting sipping coffee delicately from a china and appeared to be all at ease and not the slightest bit repentant about what he'd pulled that day with Gwaine.

Morgana was looking at them both in something akin to amusement and horror combined as Merlin narrated just what Arthur had done that day.

"Manhandling him like that…when he's pregnant to boot!" Merlin went on rambling and Morgana taking pity in her husband said "Merlin, let me talk to Arthur…you go rest…God knows you need it."

Merlin looked at her unsure before she gave him a patient and chastising glare which finally made him relent with a huff and he walked off leaving Arthur alone with Morgana.

Morgana turned to Arthur then and said "Sometimes I think you all must be the most thickheaded bunch of idiots I've ever known…"

Arthur didn't say anything to that, as Morgana had called him and others worse before.

Morgana then came and sat opposite to him and looked at him in that uncannily scrutinizing stare which made Arthur feel like he was being X-rayed.

"He could press charges for assault you know…" Morgana said conversationally.

Arthur blinked before saying "Don't be stupid, I hardly assaulted him…"

"No you just went all caveman on him at one mention of Percy"

"It was not just a mention, he was there in Gwaine's bedroom and probably"

"You are making unreasonable and totally unfound accusations again!"

"It's not unfound! You have no idea what they were like when I came back"

Morgana rolled her eyes and then asked "You know Gwaine don't you? At least to your dim capacity, what with being married to him for five years and all…"

Arthur didn't know where Morgana was going with this all so he nodded warily.

Morgana then continued, "You know he's belligerently honest and blunt and do you really think he'd have cheated on you with Percy and felt the need to remain silent about it? Hell if he was doing it to rebel against you he'd have flaunted it right in your face!"

Arthur considered Morgana's words, "He has a lot to loose from me knowing…"

"Arthur he believes he's already lost you! He's a duke's son and has a fortune all by himself! And if he was hiding it why would he be seeing Percy in plain sight all this time?"

"To throw me off!"

Morgana sighed, "Does it really matter? He says the baby is yours and once it's born you'll know for sure, what you should be doing is showing some remorse and begging on your knees for him to take you back."

At Arthur's indignant look Morgana threw a hand out to stop Arthur saying something any more stupid and said "You come back from a war late by two months and you tell no one what you were doing all that time, he could easily have thought you were cheating on him! And then when you do come back you accuse Gwaine of cheating on you and abandon him again to pick up the pieces after breaking his heart a second time! Do you know what it felt like all that year waiting for you and Merlin to make it back alive?"

"The only reason he hasn't divorced you is because you inadvertently got him pregnant, and if I were you I'd stop being a pompous prat throwing accusations and try very very hard to win back his favor….because let's face it you'd be pathetic without him _and you know it_!"

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